Cavern House

Unlocking hidden value through a deep retrofit of an historic cottage, updating it to meet modern building regulations, and uncovering lost features of the building's domestic past in the process.

We were commissioned by one of our commercial clients to explore ways of unlocking value within their existing site and office premises, which included two terraced houses that had previously been converted into offices and storage rooms. We helped our client convert one of these properties back into residential use as a characterful holiday let.

The proposal was sensitive and light-touch, uncovering lost features of the building's domestic past while updating it to meet modern building regulations. This included exposing historic tiling, window and door openings, and a fully intact set of stair spindles.

Paintings and portraits long held in storage were reinstated, adding authenticity and character to the interior spaces, honouring the building’s historic use.

We also took the opportunity to introduce thermal improvements, such as upgrading the windows, demonstrating the long-term savings these would provide over the building's lifetime.

Collaborators

• Co-Create Architects